The Opportunity
by Radioactive
Summary: Will Strong Sad betray the other residents of Free Country for the chance of a lifetime?
1. The Letter

DISCLAIMER:

I did not create any of these characters. The Brother Chaps did. I could not create characters even _nearly _as interesting as The Brother Chaps have. I just want to write a story about them, because I like them so much.

**The Opportunity**

**Chapter 1: The Letter**

**Sunday**

**11:34 PM**

**Outskirts of Free Country**

The wind was strong as a cold breeze blew through the air. The strange, uninviting atmosphere was only made less appealing by the darkness that the big shadow brought. Strong Sad was standing under the bridge. He wore a thick fleece jacket to help him cope with the putrid cold. He stood under the only bridge that led out of Free Country. His friends didn't usually go here. They didn't normally leave Free Country at all. The bridge was dark. Strong Sad was standing on the dark road under the bridge. The whole area was unknown to him. His surroundings frightened him a little.

In his hand, he held a single, crumpled piece of paper. He was a note, to him. He had found it in an envelope in the mail. It had no return address. It was just the address for Strong Sad's house and the word "Personal" on it. The paper that he was currently holding had been the only thing inside the envelope. He glanced at it again. It was written on the back of a page torn from the book _War and Peace. _It was obviously written very quickly, but the person it was from had such beautiful handwriting, that even if it was written in a hurried scrawl, it was still beautiful. The only person Strong Sad knew who could do that that he could think of was himself.

Strong Sad reread the letter, to make sure he was correct. It said this:

_Strong Sad,_

_I sincerely hope that you get this letter. I would very much like to talk to you again. I'm sorry I haven't been able to talk to you since 1998. I have a proposition to make. Meet me under the Highway 43 overpass at 11:30 PM on Sunday. We can talk to each other privately there._

He looked at the signature. It did not have a distinct name. It was merely signed by "A Friend." He looked around. He was under the overpass on Highway 43, the only real road that goes through Free Country. He glanced at his watch. 11:37. He began to wonder if anyone would show. He looked around at the dark night. He began to suspect that this might have been a joke from one of his brothers. But then he remembered the beautiful handwriting. Neither of his brothers could write like that. I had to be someone else. He began to think of a friend that he hadn't met for a few years. Nothing came to mind. It was a mystery.

He slumped down on the ground, wondering who it could be. He began to feel tired. He thought that maybe he could sleep better if he had his eyes closed. For a brief moment, he began to feel totally relaxed. He began to try to think, but then everything suddenly went quiet for a moment.

**Monday**

**12:53 AM**

**Outskirts of Free Country**

A bright light shone through Strong Sad's eyelids. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He was lying on the ground, in the same place he had been standing last night. He looked around. It was now daytime. He suddenly felt a bad feeling. He looked at his watch. It was 1:17 AM. He then realised that the strange feeling that had overcome him had been sleep. He had missed his appointment.

"Darn," he muttered to himself. He looked around again. At first, he saw nothing different than the night before. But then, he saw a piece of paper on the ground. He looked at his hand. He was still holding the note from last night. He examined the second piece of paper. It was also a page torn from _War and Peace._ He looked on the back. It had a note written on it, in the same beautiful handwriting as the other note. He read it with haste.

_Strong Sad,_

I'm sorry to say that I arrived after slumber had overcome you. I know that you are probably used to sleeping, what with all the sleeping you do to get away from those terrible brothers of yours, Strong Bad and Strong Mad. I hope we can see each other again—maybe in a brighter vicinity? I could meet you at that restaurant your friend Homestar always likes to go to...what is it called? Marshmallow's Last Stand. Let's say, oh, 1:15 on Monday? I hope you can make it.

_Hoping to see you soon,_

_A Friend_

Strong Sad finished the note. He looked up. "I've got to get ready," he said to himself. He lifted himself up and headed down Highway 43 back to his house.

Monday 

**12:56 AM**

**Strong Brothers' House**

He did not look around when he got to his house, as he was there every day, and knew what the house looked like. But if he had taken the time to look around at his house, he would have seen a three-bedroom peach-orange bungalow.

When he walked through the front door, he turned left and walked into the door on the right side. It was the bathroom. He surveyed himself in the mirror, and decided that what he looked like now was the best he could get himself to look like. He opened the bathroom door, but just as he was about to step out, three people came through the front door.

Two of them were his brothers, Strong Mad and Strong Bad. The third was a strange friend of his two brothers, named The Cheat. The Cheat was in no way human. He was a tiny, yellow furry animal of some kind that spoke with strange, almost incomprehensible mew-talk. The Cheat was covered in bruises.

"Oh, man," cried Strong Bad. "I won by five and a half miles! That was the best Cheat-Kicking to-oo-nament ever! Which reminds me, I've got to check my email."

"I WANT TO WIN!" roared Strong Mad.

"I know, big guy," comforted Strong Bad, "But in every competition, there is always a winner (that's me) and a loser (that's you). Oh, yeah, and sometimes, like, people, like...in the middle."

The Cheat grumbled something angry under his breath.

Strong Bad turned to the left, and saw Strong Sad.

"Hey, dumpus," he grunted. He was about to walk by me, when suddenly there was a loud chiming. It was the sound of a grandfather clock. It chimed once, signifying that is was 1:00.

"We don't own a grandfather clock," commented Strong Sad.

"Who cares," muttered Strong Bad. "The point is, it's time to give you your hourly beating-up." He snapped his fingers. Strong Mad walked over and punched Strong Sad on the head.

When he woke up, he looked at his watch. It was 1:14. He made his way off the ground to the front door, across the yard and towards Marshmallows Last Stand.


	2. Marshmallow's Last Stand

Chapter 2: Marshmallow's Last Stand 

**Marshmallow's Last Stand**

**Monday**

**1:29 PM**

Strong Sad felt like he was counting the seconds to 1:30. He constantly found himself thinking _Why is it taking so long?_ Finally, when 1:30 came, he half-expected someone to come through the door on the tick. But no one did. He wait for a little while longer, watching the door. His body filled with tension every time someone walked in. But it seemed like no one would ever come. He looked around. He _was_ in a marshmallow restaurant, so he went up to the counter and said the guy behind the desk, "I'll take an extra-large bucket of large-size marshmallows."

He looked at Strong Sad's overweight figure and said, "I'm not surprised." He then added, "That'll be $4.50."

Strong Sad quickly took out $5 from his pocket and handed it to the guy. He gave back ¢50. Strong Sad stuffed the change back in his pocket. The guy handed Strong Sad a large paper bucket of large-sized marshmallows. He looked at the red-and-white striped design on the bucket. It said the words _"Fluffy Puff Marshmallows." _Fluffy Puff was the company that supplied Marshmallow's Last Stand with its marshmallows. There was also the image of the creepy mascot for Fluffy Puff Marshmallows, a talking marshmallow name Marshie. Strong Sad found him very, very annoying, as did most people.

He walked back to his table. He would have sat down, but someone was already there. He examined the person sitting at his seat. They had light skin and bad overbite. They were very tall and gangly. They had a blue T-shirt on. He looked oddly familiar. He was looking away from Strong Sad, out the window. Strong Sad couldn't see his face.

"Um, excuse me," said Strong Sad to the guy at his seat. "Um...this is my seat."

He did not turn around. He continued looking out the window.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he muttered. He had deep voice. It sounded like the type of voice that was used a lot. "This is your seat? I'm terribly sorry. I'll move, of course."

And he did move. Chairs, that is, but not tables. He got up, still looking out the window, and sat down on the chair at the other side of Strong Sad's table.

"Excuse me," said Strong Sad, sounding confused, "But, do I know you?"

"Aren't they beautiful?" he said. He sounded like he didn't here Strong Sad's question.

"What?" asked Strong Sad, now very confused.

"The clouds," he said. Strong Sad could now see that he was looking at the sky through the window. Strong Sad glanced up at the sky. Indeed, there were several clouds in the sky.

"Well, yes, I suppose they are pretty," said Strong Sad, "Buy you're not answering—"

"So majestic as they float aimlessly through the air," the guy said.

Strong Sad was now very annoyed. "Look, stop looking at the clouds and tell me who you are!"

The guy turned around.

"Good to see you again, Strong Sad," he said.

Strong Sad could now see his face. He now realised that this was the old friend he was supposed to meet.

Strong Sad uttered the name of the person he saw out loud.

"But, what are you doing here in Free Country? I though you were in New York, writing short stories for that magazine?"

"I was," replied Strong Sad's friend. "But someone got an article about some celebrity horribly wrong, there was a lawsuit involved, and the whole magazine went bankrupt. In the end, I was fired and lost everything I had earned during my time working there."

"That's terrible!"

"I just had enough money left for one plane trip. I decided that I should go to Free Country, where I could talk to the only person who was ever actually friends with my—you."

"I'm glad you felt that way."

"Now, listen, Strong Sad. While I was on the plane trip back to Free Country, I got a phone call. It was from Olympus Studios."

"That humongous movie company?"

"One in the same," said the friend. "They said the saw my short stories. They said that they could give me five million dollars if I write a screenplay for them. That is, if I have a partner who is equally as talented as me. The partner would get an extra five million."

"So, are you asking me if I want to do it?"

"Yes, I am. I think that you are the only person I know as talented as I am. Will you do it?"

"Of course I will! This sounds too good to be true!"

Strong Sad paused.

"Wait...it _must _be too good to be true. What's the catch?"

"One small thing."

"Go on," said Strong Sad apprehensively.

"Well, Olympus discovered that I lived in Free Country. They did some research, and they said that the unspoiled beauty of the fields here would be perfect for several movies."

"So, they want to make some movies here? Of course the people here would let Olympus film here!"

"Well, it's not that easy."

"I knew it. What's the catch, for real?"

"Well, they said that they would give us an extra five million to go with our first five million if they could knock down all the buildings in this town to build a move studio."  
"Oh no...I knew there was something bad about this."

"Come on, Strong Sad!"

"I just don't think I should do this."  
"Come on," he said. "Tell me this: out of all the people in Free Country you know, how many, other than me, would you _actually_ consider your friend?"

"Well...come to think of it...none of them are actually my _friends_, other than you."  
"I knew it! And here's another question: what do you want more in life? One: for you too continue living here in this empty town filled with annoying morons, non of which are your friends, or two: have a chance to be able to show the world your artistic skills together with me, with ten million dollars to boot?"

Strong Sad's friend had him there. It was an obvious decision.

"Well," said Strong Sad, "When you put it that way...you're right. I'm in. I'll write these movies with you, and I'll get rid of the townspeople."

"Thank you!" said the friend. "Strong Sad, my friend, you won't be displeased! I'll tell Olympus right away!"

The friend walked out through the door and onto the grass outside. He took out his cell phone and dialled a number. He heard the metallic sound of the phone ringing, and then he heard a voice speak.

"_Olympus Studios, Peter Halloran's office."_

"Hello," said the friend to the secretary. "I want to speak to Mr. Halloran about an offer he made me?"

"_Name, please."_

The friend told him the secretary his name. He could hear the secretary asking Mr. Halloran if he knew someone by that name. He heard Mr. Halloran's voice replying yes.

There was a pause, and then the friend heard Mr. Halloran's voice. Mr. Halloran greeted the friend, and then added, _"So, have you found a partner to write those screenplays?"_

"Have I ever!" said the friend. "I juts got my friend Strong Sad to work with me. He's an excellent author."

"_And he agreed to help get our townspeople out?"_

"Yep."

"_Great! Get him on convincing the mayor to move the citizens out as soon as possible!"_

"Um...Free Country doesn't have a mayor."

"_What? That's strange. Doesn't every town legally need a mayor?"_

"Well, Free Country isn't really...a republic. As far as I can remember, it's a monarchy."

"_What an odd thing to say,"_ commented Mr. Halloran.

"I completely agree," commented the friend.

"_Well, I don't care if Free Country's a dictatorship. That'll all be cleared up once he get the...leader of the city...to seal that deal."_

"It should be easy for Strong Sad. As far as I know, the King knows nothing but gluttony."

"_That's great news."_

"Well, I'll talk to you soon, Mr. Halloran."

"_See you then, Stephen," _Mr. Halloran said, and he then hung up.

The friend closed his cell phone and put it in his pocket.

_My name's not Stephen, _thought the friend. He shrugged and walked off.


	3. Buying Free Country

Chapter 3: Buying Free Country 

**Tuesday**

**2:46 PM**

**Somewhere in Free Country**

Strong Sad walked around the empty fields of his hometown. He glanced around at the open space, thinking. Thinking about his chance to make it big. Thinking about his chance to rich and famous. Thinking about showing all the Free Country residents that they shouldn't have shunned him. But mostly, just thinking.

Eventually, he looked up and found himself at the King of Town's castle. He paused. He began to walk in.

His friend had given him a legal document that he had received from the Sacramento legislature. It was a document that, if signed by both Strong Sad and the King of Town (who the government regarded as the legal mayor of Free Country), would give the entire legal custody of the town of Free Country over to him. He pushed open the door and looked around. He was in a large stone room with torches mounted on the walls and a tapestry of a roast turkey on the other end of the room. He walked to the other end of the room and went through a door beside the tapestry. He looked in. He found himself in a large room with dozens of other tapestries of food lining the walls. There was a huge table in the centre of the room, with the overweight, stately figure of the King of Town doing what he does best—eating lots and lots of food. Strong Sad was mildly surprised by how much food the King was eating. Here is a list of a few of the things the King was devouring:

Chicken, fried chicken, bacon, cheese, turkey, corn, lettuce, broccoli, tomatoes, bread rolls, apples, oranges, pears, bananas, rice, French fries, mashed patatoes, baked patatoes, hot dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken burgers, turkey burgers, turkey, fish, marshmallows, grapes, chocolate, gingerbread, muffins, cookies, fish, shrimp, crackers, chips, sandwiches of every kind, cake, fruitcake, strawberries, melon, coconuts, mangoes, pineapples, pie, puddings, plum puddings, beef, ham, jelly, and sausages. Just to name a few.

"Um...King?" asked Strong Sad tentatively. The King looked up from his food for a brief moment to see who was talking. "Oh, hello, Strong Sad," muttered the King, his face stuffed full of food. "What brings you to yon castle?" He then continued engorging himself.

"Well...I wanted to know if you would like to have a lifetime supply of roast beef." Naturally, Strong Sad had already figured out a way to tricking the King into signing the form. The King looked up from his food.

"Do I?"cried the King. "What do I have to do?"

"You have to enter a contest."

"Who's it sponsored by?"

"The ABFA. The American Beef Farmers Association."

"Oh, wonderful! Where do I sign?"

"Right here."

Strong Sad handed the King the custody document. The King was so exited about getting a lifetime supply of roast beef that he didn't even stop to read the paper. He just signed it automatically. He didn't notice that Strong Sad's signature was on the form as well.

"Thanks, King," said Strong Sad, taking the form back from him. "You should receive the results of the contest in a week.

"Oh, I'm so exited!" cried the King. "I'm so exited, I can't even eat!" The King then paused. "Or can I...?"

He immediately began devouring the food on the table again. He was so engrossed with his food that he didn't even notice Strong Sad leaving.

**Tuesday**

**4:38 PM**

**Somewhere Above California**

Strong Sad stared out the window, watching the clouds go by under him. Him and his friend were on an airplane, en route to Sacramento. He needed to go to the state capital to turn in the custody document. He had in his carryon bag. He would not let it get out of his site. His friend was sitting in the seat beside him, reading a copy of _En Route_ magazine. Strong Sad had spent most of the flight staring out the window. You couldn't see it on his face, but he was actually quite exited about this job.

About an hour later, the captain's voice came onto the speakers.

"_Ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking. He have started our descent into the Sacramento area. The local time here is 4:59 PM, and the temperature is about 72 degrees. We should arrive in about 10 minutes."_

**Tuesday**

**5:58 PM**

**Sacramento Legislature**

It had taken a long time, but the custody document had finally been verified, and the entire town of Free Country now legally belonged to Strong Sad. Strong Sad and his friend were walking down the large stone staircase in front of the legislature. They turned to each other, and they smiled at each other. Strong Sad liked smiling. When your life was as terrible as Strong Sad's was, then smiling was a rare treat.

**Tuesday**

**6: 39 PM**

**Somewhere above California**

Strong Sad and his friend were en route to Free Country in another airplane. A few minutes after takeoff, Strong Sad's friend had taken the plane phone from the seat in front of him and dialled a number. He had called Halloway at Olympus Studios again. He told the secretary his name, and he was soon speaking with Halloway.

"_So, have you got Free Country?" _asked Halloway.

The friend smiled to himself.

"We're coming back from Sacramento."

"_Excellent! Notify me when you've got the citizens out of town."_

"Will do."

**Tuesday**

**8:01 PM**

**Outside the King of Town's Castle, Free Country**

Upon arrival in Free Country, Strong Sad had showed the King what he had really signed, and told him that the government had verified it. The King had been horrified. Strong Sad had told the King that he must announce his mistake to the citizens of Free Country. The King had sadly agreed. Strong Sad had not told him about the presence of his friend in Free Country, nor would he tell anyone else. At the current time, The King of Town had gathered all the townspeople outside his castle. In his invitations, he had said nothing about his speech but that everyone in Free Country was obligated to come.

The King surveyed the crowd in front of him. He saw all the townspeople. He saw Homestar, Marzipan, The Cheat, Strong Bad, Strong Mad, Pom Pom, Bubs, Coach Z, The Poopsmith and Homsar. They all looked pretty confused that the King had gathered them all.

The King himself was standing behind a podium that Strong Sad had set up. Strong Sad was sitting on a chair beside the King. No one knew why he wasn't in the crowd like everyone else.

"Citizens of Free Country," began the King. "I regret to inform you that I no longer own legal custody of our town."

There was a gasp from the audience.

"I must tell you that the owner of Free Country, USA is now...Strong Sad."  
There was an even louder gasp.

"Uh...come again?" said Strong Bad.

"Yes, it's true," admitted the King. "He tricked me into thinking that I was signing an application form to a contest to win a lifetime supply of roast beef, so I signed it. But it was really a legal document that I signed, and when I signed it, I was thereby giving the ownership of Free Country over to Strong Sad."

Everyone in the audience stared at him.

"Um...my mistake?" said the King.

The audience continued to stare at him. There was a long silence.

Strong Sad stood up and walked up to the podium.

"Hello, citizens of Free Country. As my first act as mayor of Free Country, I hereby order the entire population of this town to leave, immediately."

There was an even louder gasp.

"You can't do that!"

"Oh, yes I can," said Strong Sad. "It's entirely within my power."

"That can't be true!" cried Bubs.

"Oh, but it can!" countered Strong Sad. "Ask the governor of California, if you'd like. He'd tell you that it's within my power, too."

There was a humongous pause. Eventually, Strong Bad broke the silence.

"YOU CRAPPY CRAP FOR CRAP!" he roared. He was just about to run up to Strong Sad and pound the crap out of him, when Strong Sad suddenly yelled, "Stop! That's against the law!"

Strong Bad came to a halt. "What?"

"Yes, it is! It's against the law to perform assault on the mayor! So either do what I say, or go to jail for a maximum of 15 years!"

Strong Bad paused, and then reluctantly retreated back into the crowd.

"Now, as I said, I hereby order that all residents of Free Country must leave the premise immediately. None of the residents are allowed to take any personal belongings with them, including money. This law is effective at the end of this sentence."

There was a very long pause. Everyone just stared at him.

"Go away or go to jail!" Strong Sad yelled.

No one said anything. After a few seconds, they all began to walk off from their town. Within twenty minutes, Strong Sad could not see their silhouettes against the sun anymore.

Strong Sad's friend had been watching the entire thing from a tower in the King's—well, _former _King's castle. After he could not see the Free Country citizens anymore, he took out his cell phone and dialled the number to Halloway's office. After a few seconds, he was talking with Halloway.

"_Hello again! Has your friend Song Strad got the townspeople out of town yet?"_

"Yes he has, and it's Strong Sad, not Song Strad."

"_Whatever. The important thing is that is that the townspeople are out of the way. We'll send in a demolition crew tomorrow."_

After a few minutes of talking, the conversation ended, and Strong Sad's friend hung up his cell phone.

The friend hung up. He looked back outside the window to the field where Strong Sad was still standing.

"Hey, Sad!" he called down to him.

Strong Sad looked up to the castle.

"I've sealed the deal with Olympus. They're gonna send a demolition crew tomorrow to get rid of all these building, and then they'll start building the studio."

"Oh, that's great!" called Strong Sad to him. "I can't wait!" He then paused. "Wait a second...they won't demolish my house, too, will they?"

"No, of course not! I'll get them to leave your house! But they'll only do it on one condition."

"Yes?"

"Would you be willing to let them keep all of your house intact, except your brother's rooms?"

"Oh, of course! That's fine!"

"Good! I'll tell them that!"

Strong Sad's friend watched him walk off towards his house. The friend then paused, looked around, and then said, "Well, I might as well sleep here. It's not like I have anything else to go. I guess I should have thought of where I was gonna sleep before I came here..."

**Tuesday**

**10:55 PM**

**Strong Sad's House**

Strong Sad lay in his bed, his eyes closed. He fell asleep to the sound of his own joyful thoughts.

_I'm going to be rich..._

_I'm going to be famous..._

_I'm going to be able to show my genius to the world..._

_No Strong Bad..._

_No Strong Mad..._

_No one to push me around..._

_I'm going to run the show around here..._

He smiled, and then he fell asleep.


	4. Life in Exile

**Chapter 4: Life in Exile**

**Thursday**

**3:55 PM**

**Centre of Free Country**

Strong Sad and his friend were standing in a field, expecting Halloway and a demolition crew to show up soon. After a few minute's wait, a limousine pulled up, with a wrecking ball truck behind it. Halloway exited the limousine. Him and the guy driving the wrecking ball truck spoke with Strong Sad and his friend for a few minutes time, and soon, the guy in the truck knew all he had to do. Strong Sad watched as the wrecking ball demolished familiar buildings around Free Country.

He saw the wrecking ball smash away Bubs' Concession Stand.

He saw the wrecking ball tear down the goal posts at Coach Z's sports field.

He saw the wrecking ball crush Homestar, Marzipan, and Homsar's house.

He saw the wrecking ball crash through the King of Town's castle.

And he couldn't care less.

**Thursday**

**4:51 PM**

**Centre of Free Country**

About two hours later, some other demolition crew members had arrived, and had carefully removed Strong Mad's room from the Strong residence house (Strong Bad's room didn't need to be removed—he always just slept in the basement), leaving it all just to him. He smiled.

He walked towards his house. He smiled. _His _house. It was finally _his _house. _His _house, where he could live alone, peacefully. He walked towards the door with the sound of his friend and Halloway discussing building the studio. He walked through the door, through the hallway, down into the basement. He looked around, and saw the couch, the television, and his brother's computer.

He observed his brother's computer. He didn't need anything to remind him of his family.

Outside, Strong Sad's friend stood with Halloway in between the various piles of wreckage.

"So, it's decided then. The studio construction will start as soon as we can get this wreckage cleaned up," said the friend.

"Yes, that sounds like a plan," clarified Halloway. He might have said something else just then, but he was suddenly interrupted by the loud crashing sound of a Compy 386 computer smashing against the ground after being hurled from a second story window. They saw Strong Sad's head poking out from the second-story window of his house.

"Oh, sorry about the noise!" he called to them.

**Thursday**

**10:36 PM**

**Somewhere in North California**

After wandering aimlessly for hours through miles of desert, the Free Country townspeople eventually found themselves in the ghetto of some Californian metropolis. They had made camp at the wall behind a pizzeria, where they had found some discarded pizza boxes with some breadsticks and the crusts of cold thin-crust pizza. Needless to say, they were still very hungry. They sadly lay on the grimy alley. They were so cold. It had never been this cold in Free Country.

And just when they thought things couldn't get any worse, it starting to rain. The freezing drops of rain pelted against them like bullets.

"I WANT TO GO HOME!" roared Strong Mad to his best friend, The Cheat. The Cheat made strange Cheat noises. Translated into English, it meant something like, _"I do, too."_

Strong Bad heard them saying this, and he muttered under his breath, yet purposely loud enough for them to hear him, "Wusses."

Yet, in reality, he was as scared as the rest of them. They were homeless, money-less and shelter-less. They were all cold, hungry and very scared. And this was only their first day.

**Friday**

**11: 47 AM**

**Behind the Pizzeria**

When Strong Bad woke up, he was surprised that he had even fell asleep. He then realised that he must have fallen asleep very late, because he was so tired that it took all of his strength to lift up his eyelids. And when he did, he looked around. He was still lying in the alley behind that pizzeria. He saw that several other people were already awake. He then looked around. He could not see Homestar or the King of Town in the group of people in the alley. He called over to Bubs.

"Hey, Bubs, where did Homestar and the King go?"

"Oh, hey Strong Bad," said Bubs. He then looked around. "Hey, where _are _Homestar and the King o' Town?"

"I'm in here!" came the metallic sound of the King's voice reverberating through the metal dumpster beside the group. Strong Bad looked at the dumpster. The King of Town was, indeed, in the dumpster. He poked his head over the edge and crawled out over the side and back onto the ground.

"What the...? King, what the crap were you doing in the dumpster?" said Strong Bad.

"I was looking for food," explained the dirt-covered King. "I didn't find anything in the dumpster except some pizza boxes."

"OK, that counts for the King," said Marzipan, who was also awake, "But where's Homestar?"

They looked around. He did not seem to be in the alley.

"Homestar!" called Marzipan.

"I'm right here!" came a faint sound from around the wall of the pizzeria. A few seconds later, Homestar walked back into the alley, holding ten bowls with spoons in it, the logo of the pizzeria on the side of each of them.

"Oh, there you are!" said Marzipan, as he handed bowls to everyone there.

They looked in the bowls. There was some sort of red soup in it.

"What the crap is this?" asked Strong Bad.

He then took a sip of it with the spoon. It was tomato soup. It tasted delicious.

"This is great soup, Homestar!" commented Marzipan.

"Yeah, nice job, Homestar!" agreed Bubs.

"But, how did you get this? We don't have any money!"  
"I know we don't!" said Homestar. "But I did this thing I saw in a movie once."

"Here we go..." murmured Strong Bad.

"There are two things that restaurants usually give away for free—ketchup and water. So I just asked for nine bowls filled with water and a bunch of ketchup packets, and I put them together and I got tomato soup!"

There was a pause.

"That's...actually, a pretty good idea, Homestar..." said Strong Bad, kind of surprised of what he was saying.

"Oh, that's so thoughtful!" said Marzipan.

"I LIKE THIS SOUP!" yelled Strong Mad.

And they all ate their tomato soup. It wasn't the best thing they'd ever eaten, but if you haven't eaten for a day, it was delicious.

Later that day, Pom Pom had been looking up at the sky. He saw that far off on the horizon, clouds seemed to be getting darker. He had an idea. He told Homestar his idea, and Homestar had not wasted a moment hesitating. The two of them got up and grabbed hold up the edge of the dumpster. They slowly pulled it forward until the dumpster was sideways. They took the garbage bags out, so now the dumpster was completely empty. So then, whenever it would rain, they could crawl into the dumpster for shelter. Everyone had applauded Pom Pom's idea.

Later, everyone saw that Pom Pom had been right. It did rain, and they all squished into the dumpster for shelter. It was much easier to sleep that night.

**Saturday**

**1: 31 AM**

**Behind the Pizzeria**

Sometime during the night, The Cheat was having a bad dream. It was something about graveyards. Homestar was in it, too. He woke up suddenly, not really remembering anything about the dream except those two things. He looked around, but before he could fall asleep again, he heard someone inside the pizzeria yelling nervously. His voice was muffled through the doors, and The Cheat couldn't hear what he was saying. The yelling stopped after a few minutes, and The Cheat was able to fall asleep again.

**Saturday**

**11: 05 PM**

**Behind the Pizzeria**

"Get up, you lousy hobos!" yelled a gruff voice. It woke up all of them. They looked around. There were large puddles from last night's rain. There was a man standing in front of the dumpster. He wore a sweatshirt with the word _REPO _on it.

"Wha...what's happening?" muttered Strong Bad as he woke up.

"We're from the Repossession Depot. We're here to take all of the pizzeria's stuff."

"Why is the pizzeria being repossessed?" asked Marzipan.

"The owner couldn't pay his bills," said the Repo guy. "We're here to take all of his stuff. Including that dumpster, so get out." 

Everyone uncomfortably moved out. Another Repo guy came up and the two of them picked up the dumpster and carried it around the side of the building. Within 30 minutes, everything in the pizzeria was gone.

No more food for them.


	5. FourChapter Extravaganza

Author's Notes: Since I, um…kind of haven't updated this here story for…well, let's just say a long time…I'll be nice to you guys, and end the story in a four chapter extravaganza. Yay. 

**Chapter 5: Nightmare Thoughts

* * *

**

No one saw it coming.

Sure, they had dreaded it, but only in the back of their mind, things that only happened in their nightmares. Nightmarethoughts. They didn't think it could actually…happen.

I mean, it's preposterous. Their worst nightmare thought? Coming true? Perish the thought. I'll just keep going along, content with the thought that it could never happen.

Wrong.

The nightmare thought did come. And it would pick them off, one by one, starting with…

I will not tell you.

Yet.

**Sunday  
****1:07 PM  
****Back Alley Somewhere**

"No."  
"No?"  
"No."

"No, what?"  
"No, I refuse to live in an alley."  
"Strong Bad—"

"Shut up! I have made my decision."  
"I don't think you have a—"

"No! I have lived my life in the finest comforts! I have slept the night on the finest couches! I have surfed the net on the finest computers! I have eaten the finest potato chips money can by! And I have lied about all the stuff I have being the finest!"

"Then you should have no problem sleeping in the finest back alley money can't buy. Sit down."

"Fine. But you so owe me one."  
"No, I don't."

"Okay…sitting down…on the ground…on the dirt… never been more grossed out in my life…except for that time The Cheat ate some bad clams and puked his guts out. Wait a second—eww! There's all this…slimy stuff on the ground…it's like…melted up soda…?"  
"Well, I think it tastes great!"

"No one asked you, King."

"Sorry."

**Monday  
1:33 AM  
****Back Alley**

The Cheat woke up and groaned. He turned around, and saw the King, huddled in a corner, as he had been for hours.

"Food……must……eat……can't……live……food……"

The others had expected he had gone insane around the time when he stopped talking.

The Cheat grunted at him to stop talking. He tried to go to sleep.

The nightmare thoughts were of death, and they were closer to reality than anyone else could've guessed.

**Chapter 6: Goodbye

* * *

**

**Monday**  
**11:02 AM  
****Back Alley**

Homestar slowly opened his eyes and looked around.

"Morning," he muttered to the others.

"Dead," said a voice.

"What?"  
"Dead," said Strong Bad again.

"Huh?"  
"Strong Mad, the Poopsmith, the King, Pom Pom, Homsar, Bubs, Marzipan. They're all dead."  
"Come again?"  
"They all died last night. Starvation."  
"What about Coach Z and The Cheat?"  
"They're still here. But they're fading fast."

Homestar bolted up and ran over to the side of the alley. Coach Z was there, lying on his back.

"Coach!"

"Hey, Homestar," he said, his strong accent fading as his voice began to become quieter.  
"Say it ain't so, Coach! Say it ain't so!"

"Sorry, Homestar. Looks like it's time for me to go to that big disco in the sky."  
"No! You've coached me since I was a kid! I can't go on without you!"

"Kid, I got one thing to say. You're a terrific athlete. I knew it from the day you turned up at gym class. You've got talent. Roll with it, and you'll be great."

"No! Coach! I need you!"  
"Sorry, but it's just my time."  
"No…"

"Sorry."  
"No!"  
"Goodbye, kid. And don't think I won't be waiting up there for you."  
Homestar paused. He had nothing to say.

"See you at practice."  
And he closed his eyes, and went perfectly lifeless.

Homestar lay down next to him and cried.

The Cheat was almost gone, too. Strong Bad was right next to him.

"Don't worry, little guy," he said in a comforting tone. "You're gonna make it. We're gonna get out of here…then we'll go get a case of Cold Ones. It'll be like old times."  
The Cheat said that he hopes that happens. His breathing began to slow down.

"Snap out of it, The Cheat! This is gonna be okay!"

The Cheat smiled.

"Come on, man, you're fine! Just get up, dust yourself off, you know…come on!"

The Cheat smiled again.

"See ya later," he said in Cheat Talk, and he closed his eyes, coughed, and fell limp.

Strong Bad would not take no as an answer. He flipped The Cheat over on his back and began pounding on his stomach to try to revive him.

"NO! COME BACK YOU STUPID THE CHEAT! COME BACK!"

After a few seconds, he gave up, and collapsed next to him.

"That's it."

"What?" asked Homestar.

"I've had it!"  
"About what?"  
"About what? This! Our life! Our friends! Everything! Gone! And you know whose fault that is?"

Homestar nodded.

"Let's go."

**Chapter 7: Confrontation

* * *

**

Three weeks had passed since the town had been demolished, and construction of the movie studio had already finished. Naturally, Strong Sad had been given a huge office on the top floor, with a huge window to look out over the landscape, which is what he had been doing, when the door bursted open, and two angry looking people stormed in.

"Security," called Strong Sad, before even turning around.

But his brother was used to being kicked out of places.

"Not so fast, bro."

He picked up a chair from in front of the desk and stuck it under the handle.

Strong Sad turned around.

"You?"  
"Yes, it's us."  
"But…"  
"No, we're not dead, if that's what you thought."  
"Security!"

"They can't hear you."  
"You're not allowed here. It's against the law!"  
"Yeah, and so is your face," said Strong Bad, "But you don't see it leaving."  
"What are you doing here?"

"We have news."  
"About what?"  
"You're brother."  
"Yes?"  
"He has something in common with The Cheat, Pom Pom, Marzipan, the King of Town, the Poopsmith, Bubs, Coach Z and Homsar."  
"And what is that?"  
"He's dead."  
"Dead?"  
"You heard me."

This was the time when Homestar could hear security beginning to break down the door.

"Uh…Strong Bad…"  
"How?" asked Strong Sad.  
"Starvation."

"Strong Bad…" he said, as the sound got louder.  
Strong Sad paused.

"Why did you tell me this?"

"Strong Bad!" he yelled as the doors hinged began to peel off.  
"You don't care?"  
This was the time when security broke down the door and rushed in.

"Not in the least."  
"But…your friends…your family! They're all dead!"

"Take these trespassers out and bring them to the police."  
"You heartless son of a—!"

Security slammed the door shut before Strong Bad could finish.

Strong Sad turned around and looked up at the sky.

_Wow_, he thought. _They're all dead. I never thought I'd see the day._

He paused. He didn't know how to feel.

The next few things that happened were a blur of confusion.

He leaned forwards to take a step, but his foot missed. He faltered for a moment as he fell forward. He leaned forward to grab something, but there was only his huge window. His hand pressed against that glass. He felt the pressure of the glass against his hand, and before he had time to regain his stance, he fell forward, the glass cracked apart, the window shattered from the pressure. He felt himself falling through the open space, as he tumbled down to the ground. But he did not feel the concrete hitting him. He just watched the swirl of colours as he fell down.

Then everything went black.

**Prologue

* * *

**

"Strong Sad?" said a voice. 

"Huh?"  
"Strong Sad, wake up!"

"What? Where am I?"

"It's me!"  
Strong Sad looked up. He was sitting at a table. In a restaurant.

"Where am I?"  
"You're in Marshmallow's Last Stand."  
"No, no, it was demolished."  
"What?"  
Strong Sad looked up. He was indeed in Marshmallow's Last Stand. The one in Free Country. And there, across the table, sat—

"What day is it?" he asked.

"Monday the 29th."  
"The 29th?"  
"That's what I said."  
Strong Sad suddenly realized that he had been given a second chance.

He didn't know how. He remembered seeing the town being demolished, seeing the studio being built, hearing his brother tell him that everyone had died. But somehow, he was back. Back to the time when his friend had asked him whether or not to take the job.

He would make the right decision.

"No."

"What?"  
"No. No to your offer. No to the studio, no to the town being destroyed, no to everything."  
"I don't understand."  
"Goodbye, Homeschool."

Strong Sad got up and walked out of the restaurant.

Homeschool took out his cell phone.

He dialled a number. He heard the metallic sound of the phone ringing, and then he heard a voice speak.

"_Olympus Studios, Peter Halloran's office."_

"Hello," said Homeschool to the secretary. "I want to speak to Mr. Halloran about an offer he made me?"

"_Name, please."_

"Homeschool Winner."

He could hear the secretary asking Mr. Halloran if he knew someone by that name. He heard Mr. Halloran's voice replying yes. There was a pause, and then the friend heard Mr. Halloran's voice.

"_Winner!" _said Halloran. _"Good to talk to you again! So, have you found a partner to write those screenplays?"_

"No."  
_"Well, keep looking."  
_"I can't."  
_"What?"_

"There was only one person who could possibly do this job, and he said no. Deal's off."  
_"No! I need that studio!"_

"I said deal's off."

"_No!"_

Homeschool closed his cell phone.

"I wonder if there's an airport around here somewhere."

Strong Sad walked along the road, his mind racing.

_What happened? I thought the town was destroyed. But here I am. It makes no sense._

Just then, he heard a voice yell, "Hey, Strong Sad!"

Strong Sad turned around. It was Homestar.

"Homestar?"  
"That's me!"  
"But, I thought you were dead."  
"Nope. Turns out it was just a bad Pop Tart."

"So, what is it?"  
"I'm going to put on play down at the theatre. I wanted to know if you'd like to help me write it."  
"Of course I will!" he said, surprised that Homestar was asking him to help him with something.

"Alrighty!" said Homestar happily. "I've got my typewriter ready! Let's go!"

Strong Sad smiled as he walked with Homestar towards his house.

_Hmm, _though Strong Sad. _Maybe I have friends in this town after all._

**The End.**


End file.
